Effects of an exercise program on the dynamic function of the spine in female students in secondary school

Abstract

The study presents and points to the importance of implementing intervention exercise programmes in physical and sport education classes. It aims to explain diversification and realization of innovative syllabi through health-oriented exercise programmes with the focus on the primary level of preventive healthcare among the female secondary-school students and improvement of dynamic function of the spine that reflects proper function of the muscle system. The experimental groups comprised 25 second-year female students at one secondary school in the town of Liptovský Mikuláš (A group n=13: age 16.4±0.6 years, height=168.1±3.9 cm, weight=58.3±2.6 kg, B group n=12: age 16.9±0.9 years, height=167.1±4.5 cm, weight=56.6±3.1 kg). Their selection was intentional. The data were obtained by means of standardized methods used in pedagogical and clinical practice for assessment of dynamic function of the spine. The quantitative data obtained from individual groups were processed by means of the nonparametric test for dependent monitoring (one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank, p<0.01) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (p<0.01). The results in both experimental groups A and B significantly (p<0.01) proved a positive effect of the 12-week health-oriented exercise programme on overall dynamic function of the spine in the sagittal and lateral planes. The results also confirmed a beneficial influence of the exercise programme on the monitored determinants without significant differences between the experimental groups (p>0.05).